December 13, 2024: In a dramatic twist of fate, China’s Ding Liren, the defending World Chess Champion, lost his title to India’s D Gukesh in the final Game 14 of the 2024 World Chess Championship. Despite a tense and hard-fought series, Ding’s crucial blunder in the final game allowed Gukesh to seize the victory and become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion.
Heading into Game 14, the match appeared to be heading towards a draw, and tiebreaks seemed inevitable. However, Ding, usually known for his solid and strategic gameplay under pressure, made an uncharacteristic mistake. In a moment of oversight, Ding agreed to swap rooks without realizing that it would allow Gukesh to force a bishop exchange and ultimately win with a king and pawn endgame.
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The blunder left Gukesh, who was initially in shock, in disbelief at his unexpected triumph. “I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder,” Ding admitted in the post-game press conference, while Gukesh expressed the magnitude of his victory, saying, “When I realized that I was winning, it was the best moment of my life.”
Ding, who had been in control for much of the tournament and managed to survive tough situations, reflected on his performance. “I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could be better, but considering yesterday’s lucky survival, it’s a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets.”
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The final score ended at 7.5-6.5 in Gukesh’s favor, a moment that will be etched in history as the Indian Grandmaster, at just 18 years old, dethroned Ding Liren to claim the world championship.
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Gukesh, overwhelmed with emotion, shared the dream-come-true moment: “Since I was seven, I have been living this moment. Every chess player wants to experience this, and I’m living my dream.”
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